An Unusual Cause of Haemoptysis in an Adolescent: Bronchial Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma

Tracheo-bronchial mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is a rare tumour. So far, less than 80 cases were reported in paediatric population, with none reported in Hong Kong. Although it has a predilection for large airways, it lacks a specificity of clinical symptoms and signs. Computed tomography is the ideal radiological imaging modality to detect such endobronchial lesion, and the diagnosis is usually established with bronchoscopy. The majority of paediatric MEC tumours are low-grade and easily amenable to conservative resection. In this case report, a 14-year-old adolescent who had been treated as recurrent pneumonia, presented to our unit with non-remitting cough and haemoptysis. Subsequent work-up diagnosed low grade MEC of left lower lobe bronchus. With the knowledge of MEC being a potential disease entity, it should alert the paediatrician to consider further work-up especially in the context of respiratory symptoms that fail to respond to the usual medical therapy.